Car color won't affect cost of your insurance

I'm shopping for new cars, but I don't want to overpay just because I like one paint color better than another. Do red cars really cost more to insure?

I'm shopping for new cars, but I don't want to overpay just because I like one paint color better than another. Do red cars really cost more to insure?

— Mike, Medford

We're with you, Mike. Here in the Body and Paint Department of Since You Asked Motors, we don't fret about trivial things such as car color ... or door handles for that matter.

But, just because we use Liquid Paper as touch-up paint doesn't mean you'll have to. We checked with State Farm insurance agent Russell Brown, and it turns out you can let your frugal side rest easy while you select the car color you so desire.

When asked whether any car color costs more or less to insure, Brown's answer was simple.

"No. We don't even know the color of them," he said. "(The myth) started somewhere, and people have run with it for generations."

He said car color also isn't a factor with companies who give instant insurance quotes online, such as Geico or Progressive.

"They don't know what color it is," he said.

In simplified terms, Brown explained that insurance rates are determined in part by the car's year, make and model, because those factors help determine the cost of parts in the event of a collision.

"A lot of it is based on the cost of repairs," he said.

Although a car's traits are a factor in the insurance rate you'll pay, Brown noted that being a good driver makes a bigger difference.

"So much of it is a person's accident history, ticket history and credit," he said.